Pruning & Trimming

Central PA’s Leading Arborists Choice Since 1981

Whether you are seeking a tree trimming company to remove a few select branches in your trees or need to remove hazardous, decaying branches, our tree experts know the best way to prune your trees for their optimum health and can do so in a safe manner. Arboriculture is both an art and a science, and our knowledgeable crews know what it takes to care for your trees.

Our Tree Pruning & Trimming Services

Tree Trimming from Storm Damage

After a severe thunderstorm or high winds, damaged or dead branches and limbs can threaten your house or property. If your property received high winds, contact Tomlinson Bomberger to schedule our storm tree trimming service. One of our arborists will inspect your property, identify any threatening branches, and safely remove them before they hit your power lines, damage your roof or vehicle, or injure someone.

Tree Trimming Services

The majority of trees need pruned periodically for health and safety reasons. Depending upon the species, most trees should be pruned every 3-7 years. The earlier in a tree’s life you begin pruning, the less potential for future problems there may be and the more it may save you in pruning costs in the long-run. The best thing to do is not to wait until your trees show potential problems. Mature trees are not the only trees to benefit from regular pruning. Pruning young trees can promote stronger branch structures, improve trunk development, and train a tree to grow into a beautiful specimen in your landscape.

Here are a few main reasons to prune your trees:

Crown Cleaning

It is very important to remove dead, dying, diseased, broken, cracked, conflicting, weak, and poorly attached branches from the crown of the tree. By removing these unhealthy parts of a tree, we can prolong its life. Proper pruning can reduce the spread of decay to the healthy parts of a tree. It can also remove potential hazards that could fall on structures, wires, and bystanders.

Crown Thinning

This pruning practice selectively removes branches uniformly throughout the tree’s canopy to improve structure and to increase light penetration and air movement throughout the crown. When a tree is properly pruned, this crown thinning technique reduces weight on heavy limbs while retaining the tree’s natural shape. Thinning a tree properly can sometimes help with turf density under the tree as it allows more sunlight to reach below. In some instances, it can also improve the disease resistance of certain trees and understory plants below, as the increased air movement aids in the drying-out of their leaf tissue. Knowing which branches to prune is just as important as how to prune them. Making the cut at the wrong place or in the wrong manner can cause major damage for your tree in the years to come. Using a Certified Arborist will insure your tree service has individuals properly trained in the correct arboriculture methods.

Crown Raising

As some trees mature, their branches begin to sag blocking views both for beauty and visibility. Selectively removing lower branches or portions of lower branches can in essence ‘raise’ the crown of your tree so that items below are not obstructed nor views of areas beyond them. This helps with clearing plants growing beneath trees, clearing roofs, and giving more visibility for vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

Crown Reduction

Although it is undesirable for shade and ornamental trees, crown reduction may be appropriate for fruit trees. Remember, an important rule of a healthy landscape, “the right tree in the right place.” When removal is not acceptable, crown reducing can be accomplished by proper thinning cuts that reduce the height and spread, cause fewer unsightly water sprouts, delay the need for re-pruning and help to preserve the tree’s natural shape. When the tops of trees are broken or damaged, heading cuts may need to be completed but it is not the proper pruning method on healthy trees. Because the resulting growth after a heading cut is weakly attached and since the wood after a heading cut is very subject to decay, these cuts usually result in unsafe or hazardous conditions in the future. Before looking to crown reduce a tree, consult a Certified Arborist.

"The trimming crew did an excellent job. They were very accommodating and cleared all the debris when finished. As far as I'm concerned, they are the best."

Ken B. | Lititz, PA

"Tremendous job! Trees look excellent, could not have asked for anything better! Anytime we do work on our trees they look really good!!!"

Rick T. | Lancaster, PA

"Your tree crew was great! Very professional, considerate, good listeners, customer service seems important to them! Refreshing! My thanks again to all."